Auto Club: New Year Brings First Monthly Gas Price Increase Since July

(Los Angeles, Jan. 13, 2009) - Gas prices posted an increase from December to January after plummeting for five straight months, but more than half of the local major metropolitan areas still have price averages under $2 a gallon, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.

The Southern California January average price for regular self-serve gasoline rose 18 cents to $1.991 from the December average of $1.811 - still $2.59 below the all-time monthly record high of $4.585 set in July. In January 2008, the monthly Fuel Gauge Report average for Southern California was $3.357 - $1.37 higher than the current monthly average. The last time the Southern California average monthly price was lower than the current average was in February of 2004 - nearly five years ago, when it was $1.939.

The statewide average price of $2.012 is 21 cents higher than the December average of $1.799. The state's lowest average prices are in Whittier and Fullerton, where regular sells for $1.915. Tahoe City has the highest price average in the state at $2.399.

Nationally, the average price of $1.79 rose by nearly a dime from the December average of $1.698. Alaska has the highest state average price at $2.51, and Wyoming has the lowest state average price, at $1.459. Alaska, Hawaii and California are the only U.S. states with price averages above $2 a gallon.

"This is the fourth straight year in which we've seen gas prices post a monthly increase from December to January," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "However, the good news for drivers is that we are starting 2009 at a much lower price level than this time last year, and lower demand caused by the economic downturn may keep the U.S. from experiencing the same drastic gas price spike as last year."

In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:

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The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura. Find a different AAA club.